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California commuter race: Bikes beat airplane!

This weekend, a team of cyclists beat two fliers on a JetBlue airplane in a 40-mile race from Burbank, Calif., to Long Beach by an hour and 18 minutes. Apparently, the race was a jab at JetBlue for offering $4 flights between the two cities during “carmageddon” i.e. the closure of a major connecting highway for a bridge demolition. Cyclist blogger Gary Kavanaugh explains the logic behind the event:

“The idea from the very beginning was to demonstrate the viability of bikes as a real mode of transportation, poke a little fun at the delay of going through airports, and the unnecessary fear of being told to stay home as though life could not go on without cars with the 405 was shut down.”

The race started when the flier left to get to the airport an hour before takeoff. Commute News reports there was a public transit rider and an in-line skater who ALSO beat the plane-riders. Here are the results: